


Tutor

by inabodycastofglass



Series: Tutor AU [1]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - High School, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-06
Updated: 2016-04-06
Packaged: 2018-05-31 13:45:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,855
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6472345
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inabodycastofglass/pseuds/inabodycastofglass
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nico meets Hazel's new tutor.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tutor

**Author's Note:**

> A prompt from an anon on my tumblr. For my story a day month.

Hazel was having trouble with her science class. Which, to her, meant a C. So their father got her a personal tutor. Which, to Nico, mostly meant he had to put on pants.

About an hour or so into their first session, he got a text from Hazel, calling him down, since apparently Jason came by with McDonald's and refused to just bring it up to him.

Jason, of course, didn’t care that he didn’t have pants. But the tutor probably did. So he did that, and made his way down, mumbling to himself about bribery.

He wanted to ignore the people in his living room, but Jason was sitting around and chatting with Hazel, despite that he was barely more than acquaintances with her at best.

“Nico.” He waved to him. “Join us.”

“How about no.” He looked around the room. “Where’s the tutor?”

Hazel made a noise, covering her mouth with her hand as she finished chewing. “He ran to the bathroom.”

“Oh good.” Nico looked down the hall. “I would hate for him to be using dad’s money to not do his work.”

That, of course, was a lie. He didn’t care what happened to their father’s money at all.

He took his food and motioned to the stairs with his head. “Let’s go.”

Jason sighed and got to his feet with an exaggerated groan like he was an old man. “Well, see you later, Hazel. Tell Will I said later, too.”

She nodded, and the two of them went to leave, running into Hazel’s tutor where the stairs connected to the hall.

He hadn’t even heard the bathroom door close.

His first thought was to compare him to Jason. Both were tall blonds with blue eyes. But that’s where the similarities stopped.

Will was thin. He slouched. His hair was messy. He had an awkward smile that pulled up further on one side.

Nico swallowed. He had to get out of there.

“You must be Hazel’s brother.” Will held his hand out.

He took a step back, staring at it. He looked back up at Will’s face. There was a hit of awkwardness in his brow.

“No.”

He grabbed Jason’s wrist and pulled him up the stairs and into his room, slamming the door behind them.

“Nico, what the heck was that?”

Nico threw himself onto his bed, shoving his face in a pillow. He screamed.

The room was silent for a moment before Jason started giggling. Then he laughed. “You- oh my god. You like him.”

Nico sat up, glaring at him. “Shut up.”

“That’s great. Oh my god.”

“I will make you eat this pillow.”

“Are you gonna ask him out? Oh, prom’s coming up. Maybe you could go together.”

Nico beamed him in the side of the head with the pillow, doing nothing to slow his momentum.

“Hey. When you two get married, can I be your best man?”

“I’ll kill you, Grace!”

“What’ll you name your children?”

Nico leapt from the bed, stumbling forward, catching himself on his dresser, and shoved Jason into the wall.

He barely even stumbled in his laughter.

 

Will came by twice a week, on Tuesdays and Fridays, and he kept trying to talk to Nico, who always made an awkward excuse and left, only to spy on them from the top of the stairs like a creep.

Hazel noticed, of course. Hazel always noticed. Not that she knew what was going on. She had no idea her older brother was gay. And she didn’t need to. Not yet, anyway.

Will didn’t go to his school, either, so it didn’t matter what happened. After Hazel’s tutoring was over, they’d never see each other again.

 

Will came by one Wednesday when Nico was making dinner for Hazel and their friends.

He was the only one there, so he been the one to answer the door. He’d expected Reyna, Jason, or Frank, not the one person who had no personal relation to any of them.

He responded to Will’s awkward “hello” with a blunt, “it’s Wednesday.”

“Um, yeah.” Will looked around. “Hazel invited me over. She said you guys do a big dinner every week.” He looked to Nico’s apron that Reyna had made him, sporting the phrase “don’t touch the cook”. “Are you cooking?”

Nico slammed the door in his face.

Breathe. Breathe. He leant his forehead on the door, closing his eyes tight. His face was hot and his hands were shaking. Breathe.

He stood up straight, and opened the door, Will still standing on the other side. “Come in.”

He left him there, heading back to the kitchen.

Will sat at the table, watching him work, making him feel ridiculously self conscious.

“Are you making Italian food?”

The hairs on Nico’s neck bristled. “Yes.”

Will hummed. His fingers drummed on the table. “That looks really complicated. And you’re not using a recipe or anything.”

Nico smiled, his back turned to Will so he couldn’t see. “I’m Italian.”

“And I’m Swedish, but I still can’t make a meatball.”

Nico rolled his eyes. “But you grew up in America. I didn’t.”

“I thought you had a bit of an accent.”

He blushed. It didn’t bother him, but having Will point it out made him feel a bit self-conscious.

“So, did your mother teach you.”

Nico gripped the spice in his hand. “My sister, actually.”

Will was silent, but he could feel the question in the way Will stared at his back.

What sister?

He didn’t answer it.

Hazel finally came home, after forever, Frank at her heel.

“Will, you’re early.”

“You said five.”

“Did I? I meant seven.”

Nico felt the urge to yell at her.

They went to the living room, and Nico could hear them talking, but he couldn’t understand what they said.

Jason and the others showed up soon after, and things were busy enough that he barely noticed their new addition.

After they ate, everyone went to the living room for whatever they felt like while Nico and Hazel cleaned up.

“So, Will.” Nico bristled at Jason’s booming voice. “What do you think about Nico?”

The plate he was cleaning broke when it hit the sink.

Hazel put a hand on his arm, giving him a concerned look, but she didn’t speak.

He picked up one of the pieces, moving slowly as he concentrated on the conversation in the other room.

“Um. I don’t think he likes me very much.”

“Oh, I don’t think that’s true. He’s just shy.”

Nico gripped the plate. He could hear Jason’s stupid grin in his stupid voice.

“Yeah, Nico’s like that with everyone. He’ll warm up eventually.”

Stay out of this, Percy.

“Maybe you two just need to hang out more.”

Nico’s hands shook as he gripped the plate harder.

“That’s dangerous.” Hazel reached around him and grabbed it. “Let me take care of it.”

“Oh, I have an idea.”

Shut up, Jason. Nico was about to barge in there and punch him in front of Will and everyone.

“Some of us are going to a movie after this. Why don’t you join us?”

His hand slipped and he sliced it on the broken edge of the plate.

He dropped it, hissing and swearing, pulling his hand back. The cut was shallow, but wide, and it was bleeding a lot.

“Nico!” Hazel took his wrist. “What is wrong with you tonight?” She groaned. “Jason, can you get the first aid kit?”

Everyone piled into the kitchen to witness his shame.

Will, surprisingly, pushed himself to the front. He took one look at Nico’s hand and forced him to sit down. “I’ve got this. Hazel, get me a damp cloth.”

She ran to the linen closet.

Nico turned his attention to the crowd. “What are you all staring at?”

They went back to the living room slowly, Reyna stalling to stare at him, making him look down to hide his blush.

Hazel came back with the cloth, handing it to Will, who pressed it firmly into Nico’s hand. He could barely be annoyed by the sting with Will so close.

"Can I do anything else?”

“No. I just need the first aid kit from Jason. You can go. It’ll be easier to focus without hovering sister.” He gave her a smile.

Nico tried to beg her not to leave, but she’d already turned her back on them, trusting Will far too much with this.

The silence between them was tense, both of them turned as far away from each other as they could get, the only contact on Nico’s outstretched hand.

Jason came back in, slightly out of breath, holding up the first aid kit, smiling proudly. “I found it. It was moved to the bathroom, but I found it.” He lowered his arm, looking between the two of them. “Hey, Will.”

Will held out his hand for the kit.

Jason handed it to him, grinning at Nico as he did so.

Nico glowered at him.

Don’t you dare leave this room, Jason Grace. Don’t you dare.

“Well, you look like you have this under control. I’ll just head back to the party and leave you to it.”

Nico grit his teeth, his jaw clicking.

Jason gave him a thumbs up as he backed out of the room.

Nico huffed, propping his cheek on his fist.

“Did I do something to make you hate me?”

“What?” He looked over at Will.

He was focusing on his task, using a cotton swab to clean out the cut. “Did I do something? I can’t figure it out.”

Nico could hear the tick-tock of the clock that sat above their sink window inside his head as he stared at Will for a long while, unsure how to respond. He’d never been asked that question before. Usually it was other people having a problem with him.

“I don’t hate you.”

“Oh.” Will didn’t pause in his motions. They seemed so natural. “Good. I thought-”

Nico didn’t find out what he thought. Another silence passed.

“So why are you acting like you hate me?”

Nico looked at his hand, focusing on the movements. His face felt very warm. “I’m just not good with people is all. It takes a long time for me to get close to them.”

“You slammed the door in my face.”

He bit the inside of his cheek. “I am very bad with people.”

Will looked up at him through his long lashes. “With everyone?”

Nico’s mouth hung open. He stared at Will, unable to talk. What was he asking?

“I’m done.”

A shock went up Nico’s spine before he realised Will was talking about his cut.

He pressed the tape so it stuck properly and closed the first aid kit. “You need to change that in an hour.”

“Yeah.” Nico added some pressure to his palm with his thumb.

“I don’t know where this goes.” Will handed the kit to him.

“Right.” He took it and went to put it away, a bit lost in thought, the look Will gave him imprinted in his mind.

When he got back to the living room he leant against the wall, his arms crossed.

“Jason?”

The room went quiet and everyone turned to him.

“Can I talk to you?”

Jason fidgeted, slipping his arm around Piper’s shoulders. “I’m a little busy. Can we talk later?”

Nico smiled. “This is more important.”

Everyone looked at Jason, Percy’s expression pitying.

He sighed and pushed himself to his feet. “Yeah, all right.”

Piper saluted him as they went up the stairs.

“Now, Nico, before you kill me, you should know. I was just trying to help.”

Nico held his hand out to Jason to silence him. “It doesn’t matter what your intentions were. You stepped into my personal life against my wishes, again.” He crossed his arms, leaning against the door. “Will is Hazel’s tutor, which means it’s not just the two of us that are affected by this. She is, too.”

“Nico. You know she’ll accept you, right?”

Nico’s throat burned. “It’s not just that. If things go sour, if he’s not interested, or if he is and it doesn’t work out, Hazel will suffer. At the very least she’ll have to get a new tutor, and Will’s very helpful to her.”

Jason sat on the bed, his hands on his lap. “I’m sorry. I only want you to be happy.”

“I am happy.”

Jason raised a brow at him.

“Really. I have so many things I never thought I’d have. Friends, family. I do things. Even Bi’s death doesn’t hurt as much as it did.” He sat down beside Jason. “Sure, a relationship would be nice, but I don’t need one. It’s not necessary. I’m okay with being alone.”

Jason put an arm around Nico’s shoulder and gave him a half hug. “Sometimes I forget how strong you are.”

Nico shrugged. “I don’t think it’s really strength, per sey. More like, better than I used to be.”

“Nah. Pretty sure it’s strength.”

He laughed. “Whatever.”

Nico leant his head on Jason’s shoulder, closing his eyes.

Jason rested his cheek on Nico’s head in turn, and the two of them stayed like that for a while, silent, enjoying the moment.

“You know, the fact that we’ve been so quiet up here is probably really freaking everyone out.”

Nico hummed, looking around. He went to his bedside table, picked up his alarm clock, and chucked it at the wall so hard it broke with a loud crash.

Jason gaped at the dent in his wall. “You’re crazy.”

Nico shrugged. “Probably.” He tossed the useless appliance in the bin. “We should go back downstairs.”

“You know, the offer to bring Will to the movies with us still stands.”

“Downstairs, Grace.”

 

The following Tuesday, Nico got home late, Reyna with him, mostly hoping to miss Will. But he was still there, and even said hi to them.

Both girls noticed Nico’s awkward “hello” and the way he rushed upstairs, looking between themselves.

 

That Friday Nico skipped school, a common occurrence, and watched movies on the couch instead. So he was still there when Will and Hazel got home, feeling relatively comatose.

Hazel sat at his feet, putting a hand on his leg. “He, Will. You wanna skip work today and watch some movies?”

Will looked between them and smiled. “Sure.”

“Okay. I’ll get some snacks.”

Nico sat up, catching Hazel before she left the room. “Reyna’s coming over.”

“Okay.”

He leant over the armrest, turning his attention back to the TV.

“Quit squeezing your hand. You’re irritating the cut.”

Nico looked to Will beside him. “It itches.”

“That’s because it’s healing. And it’ll take longer if you keep messing with it.”

“So? I’d rather it take longer than just deal with it itching like this.”

“You’re being a child. Just stop it.”

“Don’t tell me what to do.” He gave it an extra squeeze just to be obstinate.

Will huffed, commandeering his hand. “I can’t believe I have to do this for someone my own age.”

“Hey. Give my hand back.” He pulled on it.

“No. Obviously you can’t be trusted with it.”

“Give it.” He yanked hard, pulling will half on top of him. “Solace.” He pushed on his shoulder. “Get off.”

“Stop playing with your hand and I will.”

“No.”

“Then no.” He wrapped both hands around Nico’s arm, holding it to his chest.

“Get off of me.” He put his foot to Will’s stomach and pushed, lifting him up.

“No!”

“Off!”

They heard the front door close and turned to Reyna, who was staring at them, her arms crossed, hip jut out to the side. “Do I need to separate you two?”

Nico yelled “yes” while Will grunted out a “no”, pulling Nico’s hand closer.

Reyna sighed, and pried Nico’s hand free.

He tucked it under his chin, curling into the armrest of the couch, glaring at Will.

“Now, does anyone want to tell me what happened?”

Will pointed at Nico. “He’s irritating his cut.”

Nico gaped at him. “Did you just tattle on me?”

“I wouldn’t have to if you would just let it be.”

“It’s my hand!”

“And obviously you can’t be trusted with it.”

“With my hand?”

“Yes.”

“And what exactly do you plan to do to stop me? Hold it for the next week and never leave my side?”

“If I have to.”

Nico blushed. And he was sure Will did, too.

Reyna sighed, putting a hand to her forehead. “I’m not drunk enough for this.”

Nico scoffed. “You don’t drink.”

“My point stands.” She went to help Hazel in the kitchen.

Will put one hand on the back of the couch, leaning uncomfortably close to Nico’s face, glaring at him. “I will make sure you don’t play with that hand.”

Nico glared back, but he wasn’t sure if he’d managed to look even remotely intimidating. He could feel Will’s breath on his lips. “Oh no you won’t.”

As it turned out, Hazel agreed with Will, so he sat next to Nico the entire afternoon, Nico’s hand on his lap, while Nico pouted next to him.

He would have left if he had enough willpower. As it was he couldn’t manage to make himself move, afraid it would ruin the moment. Not that he was sure Hazel would let him, anyway.

During the second movie, Will started to play with his hand, running his fingers up and down Nico’s slowly.

Nico sucked in a breath, his eyes widening, his stomach having a fit. He told himself not to move. If he moved, it might stop.

What if Will was doing this on purpose? He should put an end to it before he got any ideas.

But then, what if he wasn’t? What if it was unconscious?

He kept his eyes on the movie.

 

The next time Nico saw Will was the next day when Hazel led him into Nico’s room, waking him and Jason.

He groaned, sitting up, pushing his palms into his eyes. “What?”

“I got you a new alarm clock. I’m hooking it up before I forget.”

“I can do that myself, you know.”

“Can, but won’t.” She fiddled with the time.

That was when he noticed Will.

His face was red, and he was staring at Jason, who had fallen back asleep, his arm on Nico’s waist, neither of them wearing shirts.

“Oh god.”

Will walked out.

“Shit!” Nico jumped out, chasing after him. “Shit! Will, wait!”

Will stopped on the stairs, keeping his back to Nico, his shoulders tense.

“What were you doing in my room?”

Will turned to him, giving him a look somewhere between shock and offense. “What?”

He covered his face with both hands. “Oh god. That’s not what I meant. I just- It’s Saturday.”

“Yeah. I ran into Hazel at the mall. She invited me over for lunch.”

He let his hands drop. This was a mistake. It didn’t matter what Will thought happened. He was Hazel’s tutor. Nothing else. “Right. Well.” He turned around to go back to his room.

“Are you and Jason together?”

“What?” He turned back around.

Will was staring at him, his expression making Nico shiver. He gripped the railing. “Are you dating Jason?”

“Jason? No. Jason’s with Piper.”

“What about Reyna?”

Nico wrinkled his nose. “Reyna’s just my friend.”

“And Percy?”

He blushed. He’d stopped liking Percy a while ago, but the idea made him feel a bit giddy. He was Nico’s first crush after all. Reyna often had the same reaction to things concerning Jason.

Will’s throat moved when he swallowed.

“No. I don’t like Percy like that.” He took a deep breath, his chest rising with an exaggerated motion. “Why?”

“I just…” Will looked away from him. “I thought we had…”

“Had what?” Nico’s voice cracked.

Will looked back up at him. “I thought we had something, you know, between us. Was I wrong?”

“I- You’re Hazel’s tutor.”

“Is that your only problem with us?” Will took a step up, toward him.

Nico’s legs hurt. “I…”

“Nico.” Will held his hand out to him, palm up, shaking. “I like you.”

Nico felt a wave of dizziness. “I…”

Will’s eyes were wet. “You?”

He started to lift his hand.

Will reached out and took it, moving the last few steps to the top, and pulling Nico into his arms. He buried his face in in Nico’s hair, taking a deep, shaking breath.

Slowly, very, painfully slowly, Nico held him back, squeezing tight.

“Finally.”

Nico jumped back, his face red. He looked at Hazel, staring at them, her hands on her hips. “Finally?”

“You two have been flirting for weeks. I thought I would have to lock you in a closet together.”

“I was not flirting.”

“Oh, yes you were.”

He realised Will still had his hand and looked back to Hazel. “Wait. You knew about- about me?”

She smiled at him. “Of course I did. I’m your sister.”

He took a breath to stop himself from crying.

She gave him a hug. “I love you. I don’t care who else you love.”

He buried his face in her shoulder, sniffling. “Thank you.”

She kissed his cheek. “I’m going to finish with your clock.”

She waved to Will, leaving them alone again.

Will took his hand again, making him jump.

“I really like you, Nico. And I really want you to like me, too. Do you?”

He looked at the floor, trying to pretend he was alone so he could think. But it was impossible when his hand was so warm.

“Nico?”

He looked back up at Will with a jerky motion.

“If it takes this much thought, maybe we shouldn’t do this.”

“No.” He gripped Will’s hand. “I do. I like you, too.”

Will broke into a grin. “Then, can I kiss you?”

Slowly Nico nodded, unable to speak.

Will swooped down, crashing their teeth together.

“Ow.” Nico pulled back, covering his mouth.

“Sorry. Sorry. Let me try again.”

Will took a breath, closing his eyes. Then he looked down at Nico, taking his chin in between his bent pointer finger and his thumb, leant down slowly, and kissed him.

Nico sucked in a deep, long breath until his chest hurt, and held it until Will pulled back. He realised as he did, that his hand had moved to rest on Will’s hip.

“I’ve wanted to do that since forever.”

“I’m sure that’s an exaggeration.”

“Nope.”

“Well then, I hope it wasn’t too much of a disappointment.”

“On the contrary.”

Nico’s heart fluttered. “Oh good.”

Will opened his eyes to look at him. “So, uh, you wanna be my boyfriend or something?”

“Um.” Nico looked at his hand on Will’s hip. “Sure.”

“All right.” Will looked to the side. “Wanna, uh, go to a movie?”

“Yeah.”

“Cool.”

“Let me just...” He gestured over his shoulder. “Jason.”

“Right.”

He walked off, feeling Will’s eyes on him until he shut the door, leaning against it.

Jason, still half asleep, looked over at him. “What’s got you so happy?”

He grinned, his face red, his skin tingling, his cheeks sore. “I have a boyfriend.”


End file.
